“I Ho’olulu, Ho’ohulei ‘Ia E Ka Makani” is one of those standout episodes that leaves you breathless. Danny and Steve in particular feel the reverberations of real trauma, albeit in very different ways. While Steve has help dealing with Eddie’s (his dog) PTSD, Danny is left alone to save the day.
The episode’s opening scene promised action and heartache from moment one. Eddie recklessly races through traffic, with Steve hot on his tail. Both are nearly hit several times, but manage to make it to the other side without injury. That scene, as well as both the performance of O’Loughlin and the dog, were so well-done it was easy to feel their frenzied panic bleed off the screen. What made the scene especially dramatic was the fact that the audience had no idea why Eddie would run into oncoming traffic. At least, not at first.
Poor Eddie has been triggered by purple flowers, resulting in PTSD going back to the time when Eddie lost his first handler in Afghanistan, who was lying in the flowers as he died. Steve’s botany professor neighbor had been growing them in her backyard, unknowingly causing anguish for Eddie.
I found the storyline of Steve trying to help Eddie incredibly touching. I also loved how Five-0 rallied around him to help him with Eddie, from Lou finding a veterinarian specializing in PTSD to Tani and Quinn helping Steve track down the source of Eddie’s trigger. It’s amazing how an animal can cause such a connection and emotional reaction in people, and how they can bring everyone together.
O’Loughlin’s performance was heartwarming and heart-wrenching all at once, as he felt bad for potentially exposing Eddie to a trigger and then worked hard to help the little guy feel better. His bond with Eddie is special, as they help each other through everything and are great friends. This is emphasized when Steve admits to Quinn and Tani that without Eddie, he would’ve given into the same fear and panic following the events of the past year. Love for your animal is prominent here, and even the tough Navy SEAL Steve McGarrett isn’t immune to a little puppy love.
Plus, I had to feel a little sad for Steve when he chatted with the vet, Emma, whom he shared a date with earlier this season. He never called her afterwards, but granted since he lost his mother and is now dealing with Daiyu Mei, he’s been a little busy. I thought it was mature and sincere the way he was honest with her, admitting that he has trouble balancing work and a personal life. Not to mention his personal life gets “the short end of the stick.” He’s not kidding. Emma understands, but adds that she’s seeing someone else.
Steve can’t keep putting off his personal life because he’s afraid that history will repeat itself. He needs to prove to himself that something can work, and that means putting himself out there. It’s by coincidence that he calls Danny not long after Danny’s met his newest love interest, and Danny just happens to pressure Steve into asking out Emma again. Emma may not be the one, but Steve still needs to ask out someone and give his personal life a shot.
Danny, meanwhile, may have a new venture in love. He and a mystery woman share witty banter and playful chatter in a bar, where Danny had been sitting alone “in a mood.” Clearly things with Rachel have gone downhill again, and he’s grieving. In a way, you’d think that after so many failed attempts with his ex-wife Danny would have moved on entirely, but something keeps him coming back.
Anyway, Danny seems to have found a match made in Heaven with the woman from the bar, and they even share a brief moment of passion in the women’s restroom. Obviously, Danny has a thing for brunettes. Yet, romantic interludes in a women’s restroom of all places is totally unlike Danny, but having been through the wringer with Rachel, perhaps he had to let off some steam. Clearly his love interest felt the same way, hence their spontaneous connection.
Giving her a ride home doesn’t turn out so well, though. I can’t help but think that if Danny had slowed down, the ensuing accident could have been avoided, but then again, we wouldn’t have the episode we did without it.
I was intrigued by the way the car accident was shot. One angle would be shown, then it would go black before cutting to another angle of the accident, stopping when the car finally made impact, landing right side up. The sound copied the image, starting and stopping between image and the black. It makes the overall scene more intense and evokes a sense of horror and desperation, at least on my part. In any case, it was a unique way to cover the devastating car accident.
Scott Caan isn’t on Five-0 as much as he used to be. That said, this episode gave Caan an ample amount of time to portray Danny and to lay down a fervent and significant performance. Caan’s desperation and fear oozes off his character in a very realistic kind of way. So realistic that I felt his panic and frustration at having no phone signal and missing a car on the rural road, therefore missing his chance to call for help. Their rural location, as well as the fatal nature of the mystery woman’s injuries, lead to irrevocable damage and trauma for both of them.
Caan’s performance reached a particularly gut-wrenching note of grief and sadness as he asks for the woman’s name, but she dies, staring sightlessly ahead before she can answer. It’s truly tragic, but it made for a pivotal moment in the episode. Perhaps Danny’s one comforting thought can be that she didn’t die alone, and that he tried his best to save her. That, and the fact that just before she died, she assured Danny that things would work out for him.
Danny grieves, mostly in silence, until the telltale sound of sirens comes from above. Unfortunately, it’s too late, and I found it a powerful part of his performance that instead of going towards help, Danny simply walks away, and that’s where the episode ends. There’s nothing that can be done, so Danny just hits the road, not even bothering to ask for a ride or to use a radio to contact Steve or anyone else.
Knowing Danny, that’s how he processes things, but he won’t be managing his emotions alone. Steve and the rest of the gang will step up to help their friend, given their past history of doing so.
Meanwhile, Tani and Quinn seem to be developing a good friendship. One that’s comfortable enough for Tani to discuss how walking past Junior’s room makes her feel, and that she’s struggling with Junior being gone. Quinn was very understanding, assuring Tani that Junior is tough and will make it home, almost as if she were speaking from experience. In any case, I was pleased that the Tani-Junior storyline wasn’t overly used this episode, and that Quinn and Tani’s developing relationship was outlined in this instance by their engagement in “girl talk” for a few moments.
Adam’s sudden re-entry into the lives of the Five-0 team is somewhat expected, but it gives me a bad feeling. Meaning, Adam likely made the wrong choice, and he’s going to be a spy in Five-0. Given the expression on Steve’s face as he hugs Adam, it looks like Steve doesn’t completely trust him, and intends to investigate further beyond Adam’s claim of just needing some time away to clear his head.
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